Best Practices: Team Development, Student Leadership Development

Notes from Round Table Discussion
Mentor Workshop, Greensboro, NC Sep 2012

• Older students teaching younger students – esp. outgoing students
• Allow students to lead – provide opportunities
• Provide training to student leaders – including nudging technique
• Encourage involvement in all areas – lead in one and contribute in others
• Off-season team development events
• Train the student trainer – pair adult mentor with a student
• Allow students to choose areas of expertise
• Cross-training
• Safety practices: train students in safety first; emphasize set procedures
• Collaboration with other teams: brainstorming; skill building
• Student elections
• Knowledge-based leaders
• Overall leader not the same as design/build lead
• Any experienced student has some leadership responsibility
• Showcasing what we do – hands-on events
• Presenting to professional societies
• Presenting to companies for mentors and money
• Working together with other schools/teams
• Training in preseason
• Train the trainer mentality
• Documentation
• Pairing veterans (seniors) with new members (freshman and sophomores)
• Nudgers
• Team challenges – remix the group
• Round tables
• Empowerment and inclusion
• Building robust flexibility
• Look to experienced teams
• Team mission statement
• Recognize those who plan-execute-homework
• Establishing effective leader and grow them
• Intentional team building using learning styles